


Flatmates

by requiescat147



Category: Snooker RPF
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-05-14
Updated: 2017-05-14
Packaged: 2018-10-31 18:30:43
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,654
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10905006
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/requiescat147/pseuds/requiescat147
Summary: Neil moves to the UK for the second time to give his Snooker carreer a new chance. Mark offers to share his apartment. (for the sake of them being able to drive, they are not 16 here but mid-20s, ok? I just kinda like that better rn). Neil is in a relationship with a guy, called Simon. Mark falls for Neil. Yet, never trying to sabotage his relationship. Neil on the other hand is happy, but realises he might have feelings for Mark nevertheless. But the idea that Mark The Womaniser Selby might be gay or bi is absolutely absurd for Neil.iteamhelena, nqpoleon, milonelyangel, lotus73eater have funi have produced better i think…it’s kinda hard to write them pre-couple





	Flatmates

He looked out of the plane window as they broke down through the rain heavy clouds. Parts of rural England stretched beneath him. His second try on Snooker. His second chance. Far away from home, friends and family – and the sun. Ironically it was already raining as the plane touched down. He remained in his seat, waiting for the other passengers to get up and gather their belongings. Neil wasn’t eager to step out into the rain and into his new life. Again. He had a strange feeling in his gut. But the thought of a friend picking him up at the airport consoled him a tiny bit. It was nice from Mark to offer Neil could stay in his apartment for a while – until he had settled down. He felt slight excitement to see Mark after such a long time again.  
Only when he got out of the plane, as one of the last passengers, he realised that they hadn’t got a place where the plane is connected by those tube-thingies to the airport building. Rain clashed against his face, he pulled out his beanie and put it over his already wet blonde hair. Frustrated and with a strange feeling, he went to pick up his luggage. Glad to have his cue already, he waited for his other two huge bags. He was starting a new life, yet felt incapable of letting many (mostly useless) things back home in his family’s house. Bag after suitcase after trunk was lifted form the baggage carousel until he remained alone in front of the claim section with no baggage left on the belt. It seemed, they had lost it somewhere on the way from Australia to the UK. “Perfect start for this amazing adventure”, he thought bitterly to himself. After staring hopelessly at the belt for another five minutes, he concluded that there wouldn’t come another and started walking to the service area to make a complaint and figure out how to get it all back. He was tired. A 30+ hour trip and now this. He felt awfully sorry for himself. The person behind the counter was friendly enough and showed him various pictures of different kind of bags and suitcases, so they could find his more easily. Apparently, his baggage was lost at the airport in Kuala Lumpur and boarded not the plane to London, like he did, but a plane to Tokyo. How this could have happened remained a mystery for him. It would take several days to bring it to the UK. He sighed. Amazing, so first step tomorrow would be to buy some underwear and basic clothes, as if he didn’t need the money. He was promised to be called as soon as his bags arrive. Two hours after landing in Leicester, he finally walked through the doors out of the security section. Mark was still there, looking at his phone frowning and nagging on his lower lip. His head shot up when they doors opened and a relieved smile spread over his face as he saw Neil walk through the doors. He pulled up a cardboard sign on which he had written “WELCOME TO THE UK (again), MELBOURNE MACHINE!”. Neil had to smile and forgot about his miserable feeling for the moment. Mark pulled him into a hug. A warm and calming feeling spread throughout his body by his friend’s touch. They haven’t seen each other for a while which had been strange after spending so much time together over the past few years on tour.

“Glad to have you back! But are you okay? You look terrible?!” Mark exclaimed with slight concern.

“How do you expect me to look after more than 30 hours of travelling? I am dead tired.” Neil replied flatly.

“Oh, right, yeah, sure! Let me help you with your – where are your bags?”

“In Tokyo.” Was Neil’s almost emotionless answer.

“What?” Mark didn’t understand right away.

“They lost it on the way here and the bags got onto another plane, which went to Tokyo.” Neil explained

“Damn! Great start, I’d say.”

They walked out of the airport to where Mark’s car was parked. Neil had trouble to stay awake during the car ride and they barely spoke. When they arrived at Mark’s two-bedroom apartment with a comfortable sized kitchen, he barely took notice of it. Mark showed him what was to become his room for the next few months. He had already made the bed, put on fresh covers and placed some of Neil’s favourite sweets on the nightstand. Neil could not appreciate it, that’s how tired he was. He just wanted to get out of his clothes and into that comfy looking bed.

“Here, a pullover and sweatpants.” Mark handed them to him, when he came back into the room. “They should fit you, I suppose.”

“Thanks.” mumbled Neil and stripped down to his boxers almost immediately, gratefully taking the clothes from Mark’s hands.

Mark was looking at him with curiosity. He had never thought about what Neil might look like half naked…or naked. He had a small tummy, strong muscular legs and no chest hair, he realised. The pale skin looked soft and hadn’t seen much sunlight or simply didn’t tan. The collarbones were sticking out a bit and the rips were faintly visible. Before Mark could finish his investigation of Neil’s body, he had put on the clothes. Mark blinked and shook his head a tiny bit. He coughed.

“Soo, do you need anything else? Maybe some tea before going to bed or anything else?”

Neil shook his head and mumbled something about going to the bathroom. Mark nodded and left for the kitchen. He would make tea anyway. A little while later he heard Neil shuffle to his room, muttering a “Good Night” under his breath and closed the door behind him.

****************** four months later ******************

Neil had managed to start off his life in the UK very well. He had signed up at a snooker club and was practising regularly together with Mark, which not only lifted his mood but also his game. He spent a lot of time with Mark watching soccer live or on TV, making dinner and watching movies. Their friendship developed very positively and they started to be best friends. At some point, Neil met this guy at a local coffee shop and they ended up talking and later hanging out together. And becoming intimate with each other. Mark was surprised to find out about Neil’s homosexuality at first but then it didn’t really matter. His own suspected bisexuality still a mystery to anyone. Simon and Neil came together and Mark felt increasingly excluded from Neil’s life. The only time they actively spent together, was practising at the snooker club but even that wasn’t the same anymore. Though he wasn’t sure if Neil felt the same way.

One morning, Mark got up and walked into the kitchen in his underwear not expecting anyone to be up this early. He put the kettle on the stove and waited for it to boil while checking scores and news about Leicester City. “we planned to go to their game this week” he remembered bitterly, knowing that Neil most likely had other plans for the weekend already. He heard a door open and saw only from the corner of his eye a pale body heading towards the bathroom. Rolling his eyes, he turned to the kitchen window and looked at the street below.

“Good morning.” Neil’s voice was hoarsely.

Mark turned away from the window to face Neil. He had to force himself to breathe normally. The sight kinda struck him. Neil was only wearing tight briefs and still looked the same as when he came to the UK a few months ago, but for Mark something had changed.

“Morning” Mark replied, hastily adverting his eyes away from Neil and onto the stove where the tea water finally boiled. He hurried over and took it away. With shaking hands, he poured the hot water into his cup. Water spilled, Mark coughed nervously and wiped it up with erratic movements. “Gosh why do you have to make making tea awkward??” he thought to himself. His eyes shot up and met Neil’s who had been watching him with curiosity.

“Are you okay?” Neil asked with a small smile appearing on his face. Mark quickly looked away, trying to ignore the perfect lips. He didn’t pick up on the slight concern in Neil’s tone and took it for mockery.

“Sure. What wouldn’t be okay?” the passive aggressive tone in Mark’s voice felt strange and irritated Neil. “I just didn’t sleep well…or at all.”

With that Mark took an apple and his tea and started towards his room, feeling a burn in his eyes. Neil stared after him not quite understanding what had just happened. He shrugged and poured himself some tea.

Mark closed his door. Heard Simon walk into the kitchen nevertheless. The kissing sound. The laughter. The talk which was muffled by the door. He felt nauseous. “What is going on ffs?” he asked himself, suspecting the answer but pushing the thought far back into his mind where it will hopefully never resurface again. Of course, it sooner or later would. And that was another thought buried in the depths of his mind with the first one. He didn’t even lie. He barely slept last night and felt awfully tired and worn out. The thought of getting ready for practise was almost unbearable. After an intense to and for, he decided to just stay in bed and watch a TV show or something.

After a while the kissing sounds and talking subsided and the apartment door closed. The flat was silent. Mark breathed out heavily, he felt like some pressure was lifted from him. He paused the TV show and listened to the silence, taking it in wholly. And with that he fell asleep.

****************** a few weeks later ******************

It has been agony. Simon still lived with his parents and so they spent most of the time at Mark’s apartment. They were constantly together and Mark was constantly confronted with what hurt him the most. He had concluded that his first suspicion had been correct. Over the course of a few months he had developed not only a slight crush on Neil but actually fell for him. He felt rather hopeless. Neil was happy with Simon and Mark’s only intention was to keep this man happy for the rest of his life because it was so important to him. An interference or anything that could potentially harm Neil’s relationship was therefore out of question. He kept to himself. Let the two be. And gained some control over his behaviour back when Neil was present. Accepting the fact of his love for Neil and the fact that they could never be (or at least not for a long while) was on the one hand helping him to get along with the situations and on the other ripping his heart apart. He found himself waking up in the middle of the night, feeling utterly and completely sad, bursting into tears, muffling the squealing into his pillow. He didn’t want to wake anyone up. In the morning, he would wake up, feeling worn out with almost no energy for the day. Their picture wall in the kitchen was increasingly covered with pictures of Neil and Simon. It hurt every time he walked into the kitchen. But Neil was happy, he kept telling himself.

One night, Mark couldn’t sleep at all. Simon was not there for the night for the first time in what felt like ages. And Mark knew, Neil was lying in his bed alone, only a few meters away, only one wall and two doors between them. He couldn’t stop himself from imagining happier times. Time with him and Neil as a couple. Together in a bed. He pictured Neil’s handsome face, his infectious laugh, the perfectly shaped lips, his cute chin dimple, his slender pale body. Pictured himself with his head upon Neil’s chest, calmly listening to his heartbeat and breathing while Neil’s fingers trace up and down his back…His throat felt sore and tight again. He really shouldn’t think such things, they only make him sad. Fighting back the tears, he got up and walked into the kitchen to make himself some tea, continuously fighting the painful images. Neil was awake as well and heard something from the kitchen, he suspected it was Mark and slowly got up. Mark was standing with his back to the door and presumably fumbling with a teabag.

“hey, are you okay?” Neil asked quietly.

Mark was startled and flinched at the unexpected sound. He hadn’t heard Neil’s door open or him approaching. He didn’t turn. He couldn’t look into his eyes right now. Neil would probably know within seconds he had been crying and he that’s a risk he wasn’t willing to take. So, he remained facing the kitchen, mumbling something about “couldn’t sleep, was thirsty, probably just the next tournament”. At first there was no answer, only painful silence. Then Neil found his voice

“okay…you can talk to me, you know that, right? I am here for you, whatever you’re going through right now.” Came the faint and for some reason discouraged reaction from Neil.

Mark could feel his insides turn and tense up. “Should he?” ran through his mind. “Don’t be ridiculous! He meant stuff like snooker and tournaments or even family issues but certainly not confessing your love, dumbass” he scolded himself silently while fighting back the tears with all his power. He can’t let this happen, he can’t let Neil see him cry. He heard that Neil turned and was slowly walking towards his room, pausing in the kitchen doorway. It felt like he wanted to add something. Instead he sighed and continued to his room. Mark heard the door close gently behind Neil, while tears were streaming down his face. He only dared to breathe again when he was sure the door was closed. The water finally boiled and Mark left for his room as well. Pausing for a second in front of Neil’s doors and then pushing himself to keep on walking.

Neil heard Mark walk from the kitchen to his room, heard the heavy breathing. Something was not right. Mark had been acting strange lately. They barely ever talked, not even during practise. Mark had ceased to help him with his game but focused on his own style. Neil realised that he had started to miss the friendship, the connection they had had since he moved to the UK. It had been extraordinary, they used to spend so much time together and now they barely talk anymore. Thoughts of Mark’s perfect blues eyes crossed his melancholy. That time they went to a diner in Leicester, wonderfully drunk after a sublime Leicester City game. They had recapped scenes of the match and had to laugh and smile the whole time. A smile spread over Neil’s face while recalling those happy memories. He hadn’t expected things to change that much since Simon came along. He was happy. Simon was a great guy. Yet, he sometimes felt that little rush in his stomach when he accidently ran into Mark in the flat or looked up from his practise table and saw the focused and determined look on Mark’s face when he worked out some brilliant shot. But every time that happened he pushed the realisation of the feeling far back into his mind. It was impossible and therefore stupid to dwell on. Mark The Womaniser Selby, was hetero as man could be and Neil would change nothing about it. Ever. So, he had moved on. Simon was good for him. Simon was a lovely, caring guy. He was very fond of Simon.

He sighed, Mark could simply never be.


End file.
